Artificial lures frequently employ features affecting both appearance and operation to simulate different types of natural bait attractive to fish. Various desired effects causing the lure to more closely resemble natural prey include creating an effect of flashing light, spraying or splashing water, or producing a stream of bubbles as the lure moves through water.
To produce the aforesaid effects, lures of which I am aware typically include a rotor rotated by action of water thereon. The rotor has reflective surfaces and is usually mounted on a shaft or leader connecting the lure to fishing line. A problem with this type of lure, however, is that the rotor tends to impart to the shaft through contact bearing surfaces therebetween a rotative force that in turn tends to twist the fishing line. Swivels connecting the lure to the line are usually insufficient to prevent line twisting.
One type of fishing lure constructed to prevent line twisting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,733 to McLean wherein a rotor is retained on a spindle between a conical nosepiece and a rear body member respectively threaded to opposite ends of the spindle. To produce sound, the rearward edge of the rotor is serrated and engages a resiliently deflectable end of a spring wire attached to the rear body member. To resist the tendency of the body member to rotate, the body member is formed with a separate weighted lower segmental portion. While this prior art arrangement is somewhat effective to prevent line twisting, it requires the manufacture of a relatively complex lure body utilizing separate materials forming the upper portion and lower weighted portion of the body. Additionally, wave action against the sides of the lure tends to cause the lure body to oscillate about its axis. Depending upon surface conditions, the centrifugal force created by the aforesaid wave action in combination with the centrifugal force transmitted to the body member from the rotor serrations acting against the spring wire may be sufficient to overcome the downward force exerted on the body member by the weighted lower portion, causing the lure to rotate and twist the fishing line.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention, to provide a fishing lure having a rotor adapted to be rotated by action of water thereon as the lure is drawn through the water so that the rotor functions to create an effect of flashing light and a stream of bubbles to resemble natural bait without twisting the fishing line.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing lure having a simple and reliable built-in means for resisting the tendency of the rotor to rotate the lure.
Still another object is to provide a fishing lure that is inexpensive to manufacture and capable of easy assembly.
Yet another object is to provide a lure having structure conducive to entrapping a certain amount of air that passes through the rotor and escapes below the water surface as a trail of bubbles.